Regulator for pendulum clocks.



PATENTED JAN.'15, 1907. W. B. PORTER.

REGULATOR FOR PENDULUM CLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. I906.

srsRs (70., WASHINGTUN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILSON E. PORTER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO NEW HAVEN CLOCKCO., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1 5, 1907.

Application filed April 24, 1906. Serial No. 313.386.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILSON E. PORTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Regulatorsfor Pendulum Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following, when takenin connection with the accompanying drawings and the figures ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, andexact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification,and represent, in

Figure 1, a broken view, in rear elevation, of a clock-movement providedwith my improved regulator; Fig. 2, a broken plan view thereof,eliminating from the movementplates everything but the regulator; Fig.3, a broken view thereof in vertical section; Fig. 4, a broken view, onan enlarged scale, show ing the mode of mounting the pinion in theangle-bracket from which the pendulum is suspended.

My invention relates to an improvement in regulators for pendulumclocks, the object being to provide a simple and convenientlyoperatedadjustable regulator-shaft constructed with particular reference topermitting the shaft to be adjusted to porcelain dials, which varyconsiderably in the location of the openings formed in them for accessto the regulator-shaft and the winding-arbors.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the constructionhereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown I provide the projectingforward end of the regulator-shaft 2 with a small helical spring 3,interposed between a washer 1, held in place upon the shaft by a pin 5,and a friction-washer 6, placed against the front movement-plate 7 andover a clearance-opening 8, formed therein for the forward passagethrough it of the regulator-shaft, this opening being so much larger indiameter than the diameter of the shaft as to permit the shaft to bemoved up or down or sidewise sufliciently to provide for any adjustmentrequired for bringing the front end of the shaftinto concentricity withthe regulator-shaft hole in the dial, which is not shown. It will beunderstood, of course, that the washer 6, by its fric tional engagementwith the front face of the plate 7 under the power of the spring 3, willhold the shaft in any position to which it may be moved with respect tothe said hole. In other words, the shaft will stay, in adjusting it,wherever it is put without further attentron to it.

At its rear end the shaft passes through the rear movement-plate 9,furnished for the purpose with a bearing-hole 10, and is provided with apinion 11, meshing into a pinion 12, having upon its lower face abearing-hub 13, fitting into a bearing-hole 14, formed in the horizontalleaf 15 of an angle-bracket, the vertical leaf 16 of which receivesscrews 17, by means of which the bracket is fastened to the rear face ofthe rear movement-plate. The hub 13 is in turn formed with aretainingflange 18, receiving a retaining-washer 20, bearing upon thelower face of the hub 13 and against the lower face of the leaf 15, theprojecting end of the flange being upset, whereby the pinion 12 isattached to the leaf 15, in which, however, it is free to rotate in onedirection or the other on the bearing-hub 13 as upon a center. Athreaded screw-hole 21 passes through the pinion and the hub 13 andflange 18 thereof and receives a non-rotatable screw 22, the upper endof which is riveted in a vertical suspension-plate 23, having a longrearwardly-projecting slotted finger 2A for the reception of theflattened upper end 25 of a pendulum-rod 26, the ends of the plate beingformed with slots 27 for the reception of guide-fingers 28, turnedupward from the leaf 15 of the angle-bracket, the said leaf also being.formed with a slotted finger 29 for the passage of the flattened upperend of the pendulum. It will be understood, of course, that as thepinion 12 is rotated the suspension-plate 23 will be raised or lowered,asthe case may be, with the effect of virtually inoreasing or decreasingthe length of the pendulumrod, the operative length of which isdetermined by the length below the finger 29 for the reason that abovethe same it does not swing.

I claim 1. In a clock-movement, the combination v with a movement-platehaving a clearanceopening, of a regulator-shaft passing through the saidopening, a friction-washer mounted upon the shaft and applied to theplate over the opening, a spring mounted upon the shaft for coactionwith the washer which it presses against the plate, a suspension devicemounta spring mounted upon the shaft and applied to the washer, asuspension-plate for the pendulum, and means connecting the inner I 5end of the shaft with the said plate whereby the pendulum is raised andlowered.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

' WILSON E. PORTER. WVitnesses:

FREDERIC C. EARLE, GEORGE D. SEYMOUR.

